Blue Jays: Key factors to winning game 3 of the ALCS

Oct 14, 2015; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Johnny Cueto throws a pitch against the Houston Astros in game five of the ALDS at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

The Blue Jays are once again staring down the barrel of a heavily loaded gun as the Kansas City Royals jumped out to an early 2 games to none lead in the ALCS.  The Royals have put on a show thus far in the series and have been the better team in all points of the game.  They have outhit, fielded, and pitched the Jays thus far and things need to change or else the Jays will be watching the fall classic from their homes.  Ahead, we break down the key factors that should lead to a Blue Jays game 3 win.

Get to Cueto early!

Johnny Cueto has had an up and down season this year.  He started the season with the Cincinnati Reds and was putting together an incredible campaign.  He had logged a 2.62 ERA in 130.2 innings and was holding opposing hitters to a .196 batting average.  Since coming to the Royals, Cueto has struggled in comparison to his early season successes.  

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He has pitched 81.1 innings with a 4.76 ERA and has a .307 batting average against him.  I think a lot of this is due to the fact that he does not know American league hitters as well, but he has Salvador Perez as a resource.  Perez is arguably one of the best catchers in all of baseball and many have raved over his abilities as a game caller.  The combination of a solid pitcher and Perez should be enough to keep KC in any game.  

Cueto’s struggles have not been isolated to the regular season though.  He has pitched in 2 games so far this post season and has had a solid outing and an ugly one.  In the 2 games he has a combined 3.86 ERA and allowed 6 earned runs in 14 innings of work.  For Cueto’s career he has a 4.37 ERA in 4 postseason outings.  That is 22 innings of work and 11 earned runs.  This is a vulnerability that the Blue Jays need to take advantage of.  The offense needs to get the jump on Cueto and grab an early lead.

Next: Would the Blue Jays bats please stand up!

Oct 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Toronto Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson (20) leans on the batting cage during batting practice before game four of the ALDS against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports

Time to wake up bats!

I quote one of my favorite baseball movies by saying “have to wake up bats!”  It is time for the Blue Jays potent offense to put their stamp on the playoffs.  We have been teased thus far in the postseason and have yet to see Mount Crushmore in full force.  They  Jays have been able to get runners on during this series so far, but they have had a serious issue bringing them around.

The Jays are batting an awful 3-for-23 with runners in scoring position in the first 2 games.  This is supposed to be the best offense in baseball, so what is going on?  The bats need to come out in full force and post a solid number tonight.  With the dome field advantage tonight I hope to see a crooked number early tonight.  This would get the crownd going and shift the momentum that is clearly in the other dugout at this point.

Look no further than Jose Bautista to get things going.  He’s continued to play well in this series- but has not had many RBI opportunities.  Bautista has walked 4 times in the 2 games.  He is seeing the ball well and it is only a matter of time before the ball becomes a victim of the hurricane like swing of Joey Bats.

Edwin Encarnacion has also been hitting the ball hard, but they have just not been falling as much as they should be.  He was able to record an RBI in the 2nd game of the series.  Josh Donaldson has 2 hits in 8 at bats but has not shown the thump we are used to.  Our spark plug at the top of the order, Ben Revere, has not recorded a hit so far.  He needs to be on base to set the table for the mashers.

This trend should stop tonight versus Cueto, but look for the bottom half of the order to keep getting on base to turn the lineup over.  Chris Colabello and Kevin Pillar have been getting on base and coming through in the clutch.  If the offense gets to Cueto it could lead to extra innings for the Royals bullpen.  This could prove to be vital as the Royals have one of the best bullpens in baseball and making them work extra innings could lead to good things for the Jays later in the series.

Next: Welcome to the Stro Show!

Oct 14, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays starting pitcher Marcus Stroman reacts after retiring the Texas Rangers in the 6th inning in game five of the ALDS at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports

Stro-Show in PRIME TIME!

No one on the Jays has enjoyed the spotlight as much as Marcus Stroman.  The argument could be made for Jose Bautista too, I suppose, or at least his epic bat flip!  Stroman has been Toronto’s best pitcher in the postseason thus far, so look for him to be a key in turning this thing around for the Jays.  We all know the story by now I hope.  The ultra competitive Stroman went down in Spring Training with what was thought to be a season-ending ACL injury, but he vowed that he would be back to help his teammates come fall.

He has been nothing short of dominant since his return and has been one of the biggest clutch contributors on the team.  For a man whose personal motto is Height Doesn’t Measure Heart (#HDMH) he has been proving why he is developing into one of the game’s premier pitchers.

Going in to tonight, Stroman will be feeding off of an amazing crowd in the Dome.  The high energy environment of the Rogers Centre had Stroman pumped in his last start which ended with the “bat flip heard round the world.”  Stroman has been killer in the high-octane environment and only seemed to get better when defining moments of the game unfolded.  As the crowd gets amped, look for Stroman to be a cheer leader for himself and his teammates.  The Blue Jays need him at his best tonight, and if he is on his game, look for his guys to back him up with some lumber and fine leather.

Next: Stroman needs some help from his 'pen friends!

Oct 14, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Roberto Osuna throws a pitch against the Texas Rangers in the 8th inning in game five of the ALDS at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Peter Llewellyn-USA TODAY Sports

The Bullpen

The starting pitching has been mediocre the first 2 games of the series, but the bullpen was also part of the issue the 2nd game.  It’s become a question mark since Brett Cecil went down with a calf injury, which produced another shuffling of roles. The Jays went form having a lefty that was near a sure thing to a player that got demoted to Triple A mid-season.  Aaron Loup has be okay at times, but has simply lacked the consistency.

The rest of the bullpen has had its issues also, but Aaron Sanchez and Roberto Osuna have been the bright spots in what has become a feared area in games.  This has led to John Gibbons leaving in his starters an inning too long to try and bridge the gap to Sanchez and Osuna.

Hopefully the Jays will not need much from the pen tonight, seeing how Stroman has been pitching deep into games since his return.  The Royals have yet to see Stroman this season, either, which could lead them to further issues with his stuff.  If Stroman struggles, however, Gibbons may have to get clever and see what he has on the shelf.  Toronto can not afford to get down by much in this game with the Royals bullpen being lights out all season and postseason.   The bullpen must be ready to keep the Jays in this game, especially if the offense continues to struggle.

Look for veteran Mark Lowe to hopefully provide some stability, and who knows which starters may be available in this one. If the Jays can stay alive, there will be another travel day coming to give any starter that may pitch an extra day off.

Next: Home sweet Dome! The advantage of home cooking...